Oceanography | December 2019
Followed by a call to the community:
In solidarity, we, the global ocean observing community and
users of this information, invite all governments, international
organizations, industries, scientists, engineers, stewards of ocean
resources, members of civil society, Indigenous societies, youth and
all of us who live, work and rely on the ocean to engage in a collec-
tive effort to evolve ocean observing to generate the data and infor-
mation we need for the ocean we want.
Specifically, 10 dimensions of action were highlighted:
1. Engage observers, data integrators, information providers,
and users from the scientific, public, private, and policy sec-
tors in the continuous process of planning, implementa-
tion, and review of an integrated and effective ocean observ-
ing system.
2. Focus the ocean observing system on addressing critical
human needs, scientific understanding of the ocean and the
linkages to the climate system, real time ocean information
services, and promotion of policies that sustain a healthy,
biologically diverse, and resilient ocean ecosystem.
3. Harness the creativity of the academic research and engi-
neering communities, and work in partnership with the pri-
vate and public sectors to evolve sensors and platforms, better
integrate observations, revolutionize information products
about the ocean, and increase efficiency and reduce costs at
each step of the ocean observing value chain.
4. Advance the frontiers of ocean observing capabilities from
the coast to the deep ocean, including all aspects of the
marine biome, disease vectors, pollutants, and exchanges of
energy, chemicals and biology at the boundaries between the
ocean and air, seafloor, land, ice, freshwater, and human pop-
ulated areas.
5. Improve the uptake of ocean data in models for understand-
ing and forecasting of the Earth system.
6. Ensure that all elements of the observing system are inter-
operable and that data are managed wisely, guided by open
data policies, and that data are shared in a timely manner.
7. Use best practices, standards, formats, vocabularies, and the
highest ethics in the collection and use of ocean data.
8. Involve the public through citizen-engaged observations,
information products, outreach, and formal education
programs.
9. Evolve ocean observing governance to learn and share, coor-
dinate, identify priorities, increase diversity, promote part-
nerships, and resolve conflicts, through a process of continu-
ing assessment to improve observing.
10. Promote investments in ocean observing and information
delivery and sustain support.
A timely commentary from John Bell of the European
Commission said, “Ocean Observing needs to develop from
niche to norm. Something that needs all parts of society to
be engaged in. Together we should recognize the benefits that
ocean observation, information, and knowledge bring to all of
us living, working and relying on the ocean.”
In the months to come, the OceanObs’19 organizers and
sponsors will launch several efforts to address issues around four
themes and other areas of community action. Information: how
do we meet future user needs? Interoperability: how can we bet-
ter communicate among observing systems to deliver products
for users that follow usability and other best practices across the
globe? Innovation: how can we spur innovation in observing
technologies, products, and user services? Integration: how can
we balance user and operator needs, capabilities, and knowledge
worldwide? There will be town halls at many ocean meetings
during the next 12 months, and I am looking forward to seeing
impactful changes in the way we cooperate, share, and resource
ocean observing. How can we go from the niche of science and
engineering to the norm of serving society with critical ocean
information? The outcomes of this process will inform a grow-
ing GOOS and provide critical energy toward the UN Decade
of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030). I
am also sure it will have an impact on how we will advance and
develop The Oceanography Society (TOS).
TOS supported the OceanObs19 process by publicizing the
calls for community white papers and by contributing funds
toward early career attendance, and we helped to organize a
pre-conference early career workshop. During the conference,
a TOS booth provided attendees with an opportunity to learn
about TOS and to hear from the community about how TOS can
support ocean observing in the future. I could imagine that in
the future TOS might sponsor an award to recognize outstand-
ing individuals or team initiatives in the area of sustained global
ocean observing. A proposal for this award would go to the TOS
Council and could become an item of discussion regarding TOS
strategic development under the heading “TOS Strategy 2030,”
to be completed at the end of 2020.
Martin Visbeck, TOS President
OceanObs19: http://www.oceanobs19.net/
OceanObs19 Declaration: http://www.oceanobs19.net/
wp- content/uploads/2019/09/OO19-Conference-Statement_
online.pdf
Global Ocean Observing System: https://www.goosocean.org/
Framework for Ocean Observing: http://www.oceanobs09.net/foo/